Lumber-drier



(No ModeL) G. F. STARKWEATHER.

LUMBBR DRIBR. No. 327,903. Patented Oct. 6, 1885.

ii'. NITED STATES PATENT OFFICEQ eLEAsoN E. sfrAnKwEArnEE, oE rntmunn, Assis-Non To EDWARD e.

sHUMwAY, oE HYDE PARK, ILLINOIS.

LUMBERDRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,903, dated October 6, 1885.

Application filed March 21, 1885. Serial No. 159,637.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GLEAsoN F. STARK- WEATHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pullman, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Lumber-Driers, of which the following is a specification.

M v invention relates to that class of lumber-driers composed of a series of platens of steam-pipe in a pile, between which said platens lumber is placed and dried.

The object of my improvement is that both thin and thick lumber may be dried at the same time in the same machine in a better manner and with less discoloring or staining than heretofore, and avoiding the placing of two or more thicknesses of thin stuff together to make the required fill between two platens, as heretofore practiced.

My invention consists in a new and improved manner of connecting the platens by the links leading obliquely or zigzag from one platen to another from the top to the bottom of the pile, as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts in all the figures, Figure lis a perspective view of a lumberdrier with the housing or outer frame-work and other parts removed, showing a pile of platens, a, with the links c connecting them together. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation view enlarged, showing how the links c connect the platens a, and the platens apart separated from each other to the extent limited by the said links. Fig. 3 is the same sectional side elevation view enlarged shown in Fig. 2, with the platens a closed together, showing how the links e opera-te and slide by the side of each other in pairs zigzag and how they overlap or pass the pins n.

In my improved lumber-drier the platens c may be of any well-known construction, modified only to adapt them for use with my improvements. a represents the platen-a series of platens arrranged in a pile, as shown in Fig. 1. Said platens I preferably construct, as ordinary, with an outer rim, e, with crossing bars f, and with steam-pipe b, interlaced or woven through perforations in said bars, as will be understood by the bottom platen in Fig. l, as is well known and in ordinaryuse.

(No model.)

The said platens may be covered with thin sheet-metal covering, and said covering may be perforated or not, as desired, as shown in all the platens, save the bottom one, in Fig. l. This covering of the platens with athin plate, perforated or not, I do not herein claim, as I am making claim thereto in another and separate application for Letters Patent to be filed after this is filed.

I connect the said pile of platens by aseries of links, c, hung obliquely upon the sustaining-pins n. The said pins n project outwardly from the rim of the platen, and are placed and set zigzag from the top to the bottom of the pile of platens, by which all the said links hang obliquely, so as to readily pass each other when the pile of platens is closed or have thin lumber between the platens, as will be understood by the drawings.

In operation the open pile of platens may be filled with either thick or thin lumber spread evenly in a single thickness over each platen, and thick lumber may be filled in between any two and thin stuff or veneeringlumber between any other two platens. Then, after suoli filling of the pile, the said pile may be closed upon thelumber, and steam admit-ted into the platens and the lumber dried, as usual.

My improvement, although seemingly slight, is important in enabling me to dry various thicknesses of lumber in a better manner than heretofore.

I am aware that links or straps have heretofore been used in connecting a pile of platens. Therefore I do not broadly claim the use of such links or straps.

Having thus set forth my invention, I will now point out what I desire to secure by Letters Patent:

In a lumber-drier, a series of platens in a pile, each platen provided with sustainingpins n, said pins set zigzag from the top to the bottom of the said pile, with the links c hung obliquely upon the said pins and connect-ing the said platens to each other, all constructed and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

GLEASON F. STARKWEATHER.

Vitnesses:

JOHN LANE, E. L. LANE. 

